What You Should Know About Gum Lifts

At times, teeth may be of the healthiest sort, but the gums would spell a problem—in terms of aesthetics, that is. You may have seen people with “gummy” smiles, or those whose gums extend too far from the lip line. People with “gummy” smiles tend to lose confidence over their dental predicament, since they feel that too much of their gums show when it shouldn’t be the case. 

Fortunately, a procedure called gum contouring (a.k.a. gum lift) can help. A dentist performing this cosmetic dentistry procedure uses a laser to trim away excess gums, then subsequently shape the gum tissue so it looks much better on the teeth. Gum lifts are done for various reasons. Several people have gums that didn’t recede after their permanent teeth erupted, while others have lips that simply show too much gums when they smile. In some cases, gums may actually recede farther than normal, revealing too much of the tooth surface. 

A gum contouring procedure is fairly straightforward. First, the dentist numbs the area to be fixed with a local anesthetic. Then, the dentist skillfully begins to wield a special diode laser to gently cut away excess gum tissue and create a more uniform gum line. Unlike scalpels which were previously used for this type of procedure, lasers actually heal while they cut, resulting in less bleeding and chances of infection.